Adrian Mannarino criticizes US Open conditions: “It’s turning into a zoo”

Adrian Mannarino did not hold back after his second-round defeat at the US Open. The 38-year-old Frenchman called himself “a disaster from start to finish” against Kazakhstan’s Alexander Bublik, then turned his attention to what he sees as the tournament’s deteriorating playing conditions.

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It’s turning into a zoo.

Mannarino lost 6-3, 6-1, 6-1 after beating Argentina’s Thiago Tirante in five sets in the opening round. Speaking to Eurosport, he said the conditions had caused him “a lot of problems,” while acknowledging that Bublik had faced the same environment.

“It’s not easy to play at night, with the noise, the artificial lights and all that,” Mannarino said. He was particularly critical of rules governing spectators. Since the 2024 US Open, controlled circulation zones have allowed fans to reach their seats between games, rather than only during changeovers. Free-circulation zones allow access at any time.

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It’s not easy to play at night, with the noise, the artificial lights and all that.

“There is noise everywhere,” Mannarino said. He also complained about the smell of marijuana around the tennis complex. “It smells like marijuana on the court, it’s turning into a zoo. These are really unusual conditions. People come in whenever they want, move around and talk.”

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There is noise everywhere.

He said the tournament tolerated the situation and questioned whether the change served players or tennis more broadly. The marijuana odor had already become a prominent topic during the 2022 US Open, after New York legalized recreational cannabis in 2021. Several players complained about it then as well.

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It smells like marijuana on the court, it’s turning into a zoo. These are really unusual conditions. People come in whenever they want, move around and talk.